Author: Raffi Khondkarian

European Commission deplores the Azerbaijani attacks on Shushi Cathedral during 2020 war

Raffi Khondkarian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 3 2021

In the response to an urgent written question sent to the European Commission by the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Loucas Fourlas (Cyprus, EPP), EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell stated on behalf of the European Commission that the latter deplores the damages caused to the Shushi Ghazanchetsots Cathedral by the Azerbaijani armed forces,  reports the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD).

In the urgent written question addressed by MEP Fourlas, it is mentioned that the Azerbaijani armed forces targeted and attacked Shushi’s Ghazanchetsots Cathedral on 8 October 2020, in violation of international rules of war. The MEP asks the European Commission whether the latter is planning to take steps “to protect both the civilian population and places of worship” in Artsakh/ Nagorno Karabakh that are currently under the Azerbaijani control.

Responding to the MEP, the European Commission stated that it deplores the destruction of religious and historic monuments in Nagorno Karabakh and underlines the importance of preserving and restoring the cultural and religious heritage.

Furthermore, in his answer the High Representative refers to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017), which gives the definition of the war crimes, targeting of the religious, educational and cultural centers.

The European Commission also welcomes the mission initiated by UNESCO to the regions of Nagorno Karabakh currently under the Azerbaijani control aimed at establishing a first factural assessment of the Armenian cultural heritage. It will also contribute to supporting the preservation and restoration of the cultural sites.

Commenting on the response of the written question, the EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian stated: “Azerbaijan has to bear full responsibility for the gruesome war crimes committed during and after the 2020 war in Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh, including targeting civilian settlements as well as religious sites i.a. the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. Shushi has undeniably been a historical Armenian city, an important center for culture and education, and the symbol of the Armenian revival of Artsakh. The international community and the relevant organizations must closely follow and monitor the preservation of the Armenian religious and cultural heritage in the region. We should not allow yet another act of cultural genocide, such as the destruction of thousands of Armenian medieval cross-stones in Nakhijevan by the Azerbaijani authorities in 2006. Any attempt of demolition of historic Armenian presence in Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh must be prevented and strongly condemned.”

Azerbaijani press: Italian Parliament demands provision of maps of mined areas of Azerbaijan (PHOTO)

Raffi Khondkarian
POLITICS3 March 2021 00:42 (UTC+04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 2

Trend:

The Permanent Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Lower House of the Italian Parliament adopted a resolution on the implementation of agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

The document calls on the parties to take constructive actions to facilitate demining operations in the liberated regions of Azerbaijan, and in this regard, it is proposed to provide maps of mined areas.

The resolution says that the Azerbaijani side fulfilled its obligations under the trilateral statement, returned all Armenian prisoners of war taken before and during the war.

The document calls on the Italian government to support the initiatives of the UN, OSCE and the European Union to fully implement the Statement of November 9, 2020 and call for the release of all prisoners of war. The Italian government has also been tasked with working with the governments of both countries on a bilateral level to advance confidence-building measures to establish a future peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the Italian government has been instructed to call on the parties to take constructive action to facilitate demining operations and provide maps of minefields.

Hacob and Mina Shirvanian’s Family Continues Legacy By Supporting Gyumri Youth Center

Raffi Khondkarian

March 2,  2021



Mr. and Mrs. Vahik and Alice Petrossian and their son, Chris flank Mina and Hacob Shirvanian during the opening of the Shirvanian Youth Center in Gyumri in July 2016

This summer will mark the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Shirvanian Youth Center in Gyumri, which was made possible by a generous contribution and lifetime of dedication to empowering youth by the late Hacob and Mina Shirvanian.

Since the youth center opened its doors in July, 2016, through the efforts of the “We Are Gyumri” initiative, it has offered after school programs, arts and culture classes, as well as computer and IT training to the youth of Gyumri. One of its signature programs has become the annual scholarships that awarded to local youth. This program was named for Mina Shirvanian after she passed away in 2017.

“We Are Gyumri” is an initiative of the ARF Western U.S. Central Committee

The Shirvanian Youth Center also became a hub during the Artsakh War last fall, when local youth gathered to provide assistance to those displaced by the war and the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh that claimed so many innocent lives.
The center’s activities, as well as the scholarship program, are funded through generous donations to the “We Are Gyumri” committee from supporters and community activists. Hacob and Mina Shirvanian’s family members have been pivotal in ensuring the continued advancement of the center.

The Shirvanians’ daughter, Alice Petrossian and her husband, Vahik, continued this legacy with their most recent donation of $8,000 to the “We Are Gyumri” committee, which will be allocated toward the continued operation of the Shirvanian Youth Center and help young Gyumri residents advance their education through the Mina Shirvanian Scholarship Fund.

In September, the “We Are Gyumri” committee announced the names of the 12 recipients of the 2020 Mina Shirvanian Scholarship, nine of whom were awarded for the first time, while three were continuing scholars. Since the scholarship program was launched in 2015, there have been 34 scholarship recipients, of whom 22 have graduated.

The “We Are Gyumri” committee, which is an initiative of the ARF Western U.S. Central Committee, extended its heartfelt gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Vahik and Alice Petrossian, as well as to the other dedicated community members who have supported the initiative and made the 2020-2021 scholarships possible.

“We thank you for always supporting our efforts,” said the “We Are Gyumri” committee chairman Shant Baboujian. “Your unwavering dedication also allows us to provide valuable scholarships through the Mina Shirvanian Scholarship Fund.”

The following are the 2020-2021 Scholarship Sponsors:
Carlo & Azniv Bozoghlian
Pierre & Kathy Chraghchian
Viken & Nora Hovsepian
Shant & Tamar Baboujian
4211 Nogales Dr., LLC
Garo & Sossy Eshgian
Angelo & Lori Ghailian
Arto Keuleyan
Hampar & Garine Melkonian
Oshin & Iren Peroomian
Sarkis & Seta Kargodorian
Koko Topalian

The Scholarship Fund, strictly available for residents of Shirak, is designed to encourage the youth in Gyumri to further their education without having to leave their homeland. The annual tuition is $750 per student. To sponsor a student or donate to the Mina Shirvanian Scholarship Fund, please click “We Are Gyumri” or send a check payable to “ACF” to ACF Shirak Youth Center, 104 N Belmont Avenue, Suite 300, Glendale, CA 91206.

The mission of the “We Are Gyumri” committee is to create a positive and lasting impact on youth in Gyumri, Armenia. The campaign restructured and renovated the Shirvanian Youth Center in Gyumri that had been destroyed during the 1988 earthquake. A year-round functional program was created at the center to teach youth in Gyumri everyday skills, to provide them with the essentials they need for a brighter future, and to serve as a bridge between youth in Gyumri and their peers in the Diaspora. As another component of the campaign, the “We Are Gyumri” Mina Shirvanian Scholarship Fund is intended for residents of the Shirak Province to pursue their undergraduate education in their native region.

Artsakh President says ready to mediate in overcoming political crisis in Armenia

Raffi Khondkarian

 12:44,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan says the ongoing domestic political developments in Armenia are strictly concerning. He urged all sides to show soberness and common sense.

In a statement he emphasized that now it’s the time to get out of the crises and pass through a long development and strengthening path.

“Currently being in Yerevan I am ready to bring my mediation mission in overcoming this political crisis with honor”, the President of Artsakh said.

On February 25 the General Staff of the Armenian Forces of Armenia issued a statement, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his Cabinet.

In his turn Pashinyan commented on the statement, calling it as a “military coup attempt”.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

CivilNet: What Lists of Azerbaijani Dead Tell Us About the War

Raffi Khondkarian
CIVILNET.AM

01:10

By Emil Sanamyan

Unlike the Armenian government, which continued to publish lists of the dead on its side throughout the fighting between September 27-November 10, the Azerbaijani officials refused to do so until the end of active combat. For six years prior to the 2020 war, the Ilham Aliyev regime made it illegal to publish any information on military topics, unless it was officially released and this helped lock up war-related leaks, even in social media. And if during the April 2016 war, many of the anti-Aliyev media based abroad flouted this ban and reported on Azerbaijani casualties, in 2020 media such as Berlin-based Meydan TV joined the Aliyev regime in the cover-up.

Following the war, the Azerbaijani defense ministry published a list with names and photos of 2,823 military dead and 64 missing in action. The release came shortly after the acknowledgement of at least 3,000 dead on the Armenian side, and it is unclear if the information released by Azerbaijan is complete. But judging by the course of war, in which the majority of Armenian forces were likely killed in aerial attacks, and keeping in mind that more than 500 Turkish Syrian mercenaries fighting for Azerbaijan were also reported killed, the official number from Baku seems close to reality.

Of the 2,887 names of the dead and missing, about 13 percent are officers, 36 percent are contract personnel and about half are enlisted men. Of the enlisted, the 18 to 20 years-old comprise more than 22 percent of all dead. By comparison, the 18 to 20 years-old comprise about one-third and officers less than ten percent of the 2,735 Armenian servicemen killed in combat and whose names have been published. This might reflect the margin of under-reporting by Azerbaijan, which could also be accounted for by the dead among the mercenaries. Another notable difference is that unlike the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani side did not put volunteers in combat, which is reflected in the fact that persons older than 50 years old were not reported to have been killed in combat.

While the bulk of the Azerbaijani dead are from the ground forces of the defense ministry, there are also significant numbers from the border guard, interior forces, as well as at least ten naval personnel and two pilots.

The most senior officers killed included the second in command of the 2nd and the 1st army corps, as well as the commander of the Su-25 air force squadron. Judging by the geography and timing of deaths among mid-senior level officers – 3 colonels and 26 lieutenant colonels – Azerbaijani forces suffered heaviest casualties on the first day of attack in the Mrav mountain range in northern Karabakh, as well as between September 27 and October 9 on Karabakh’s southern front, during October 10 fighting in Madagis area, as well as in individual engagements in the north of Hadrut and south of Martuni districts, and between Qubadli and Lachin.

And judging by geography and timing of deaths reported among Azerbaijan’s special forces personnel, in late September the thrust of the Turkish air force-backed attacks initially focused on the Mrav mountains in the north of Karabakh, and then, from early October shifted to the south, culminating in the fighting between Qubadli and Lachin, and around Karmir Shuka and Shushi. The latter fighting included a mix of special forces units from Azerbaijan, including interior forces and the navy, as well as Turkish-hired Syrian mercenaries.

Emil Sanamyan is a South Caucasus specialist based in Washington D.C.. He is the editor of the University of Southern California Focus on Karabakh platform.

This piece was originally published in Focus on Karabakh.

Any Shots Fired by Azeri Forces is a Threat to Armenia, Says Rights Defender

Raffi Khondkarian

February 19,  2021



Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan (left) with residents of Syunik during a fact-finding mission on Feb. 16

Any shots fired by Azerbaijani forces near the vicinity of villages in Armenia’s Syunik Province is a threat to Armenia fraught with dangers to the civilian population in the area, said Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan, who also published a report following a fact finding mission to the region.

Last week, Tatoyan warned that Azerbaijani forces, using small and large weapons, were firing shots in the direction of villages in the Syunik Province from as close as one kilometer away. Some officials opted to minimize the incidents by saying Azerbaijani were merely discharging their weapons in the air.

Tatoyan on Friday took issue with the semantics being used to rationalize the Azerbaijanis violations, asserting that any shots—whether sporadic or continuous—must be regarded as a rights violation.

“In recent days, there have been reports that the shots fired by the Azerbaijani military near the border villages of Syunik province are sporadic or that they are simply firing in the air. This leaves the impression that the dangers and risks to life associated with such shootings are, therefore, minimized,” said Tatoyan who countered by saying that even a single shot fired disturbs the peace and tranquility of the villagers, endangers their and their children’s life and deprives them of the right to work in their fields or use their property.

“The presumption should be that any shots fired the Azerbaijani military should be seen as a regular shooting and thus, must officially be recorded as shots fired at the village,” explained Tatotyan.

“The presence of Azerbaijani armed servicemen in general, and particularly in the immediate vicinity of the villages of Syunik province or on the roads connecting the communities of the province, and any movement by them violates Armenia’s Constitution, internationally guaranteed rights of the peaceful inhabitants of Syunik, and is a threat to their peace and tranquility,” Tatoyan said.

Tatoyan led a fact finding mission to Syunik Province on Tuesday, visiting the city of Kapan and the Nerkin Hand, Shikahogh, Srashen villages. The team observed violations and threats to life property and right of the residents.

Kapan Mayor Gevorg Parsyan and other area officials accompanied Tatoyan’s team, which held detailed discussions, including private conversations with the residents. The team made professional observations, and assessments were made of registered complaints on a case by case basis.

Tatoyan made the following statement based on the fact finding mission:

Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of the villages of Kapan continue to discharge small and large caliber weapons. The shootings are regular, both during the day and at night. They are clearly and unmistakably heard in the villages, causing anxiety, first of all to the women and children. The Human Rights Defender has already published evidence of Azerbaijani shootings in the vicinity of Kapan community villages.

The same information was also communicated to the Syunik regional subdivision of the Defender’s Office by the residents of Tsav and Chakaten villages and was subsequently verified.

2. Due to the process of “determining” the borders of Armenia with Azerbaijan, as one of the many consequences of the September November war of 2020, the pastures, the private and community arable lands of the referenced villages of Kapan are being targeted by Azerbaijani armed forces. This turn of events has made it impossible to make use of those fields.

3. During the visit, the residents of Shikahogh, Srashen and Nerkin Hand villages reported that shots were fired while they were engaged in agricultural work on their lands and in broad daylight. In some cases, they were on their lands with their children and grandchildren.

At the same time, the Azerbaijani servicemen who fired the shots are at such a distance (even less than 1 km) that the lands of the Armenian villagers are visible to the naked eye. In other words, they are clearly observing these civilians and are witnessing the villagers carrying out their daily chores and the agricultural work on their lands.

All of this also poses a direct threat to children. Notably, the Azerbaijani military is located less than one kilometer from a school near the village of Nerkin Hand.

These facts have been verified by the observations of the Human Rights Defender’s staff through alarming concerns raised by community bodies and by the residents in these regions.

4. The presence of Azerbaijani servicemen (including Azeri flags and signs) on the road from Kapan to Chakaten and other villages in Kapan, which is in the Syunik Province, have seriously hampered the free movement of civilians and especially the residents of the surrounding villages. According to these residents, as it turns out, there are Azerbaijani armed servicemen in these areas to “protect” the signs and/or flags from the residents.

Because of all this, the villagers have to refrain from walking and traveling on those roads in the evening hours, for their own safety, and for the safety of their families, even for vital needs (for example traveling to and from a medical facility).

5. The description once again confirms that the presence of Azerbaijani armed forces (flags and signs) in the immediate vicinity of Armenian villages or on roads connecting communities, or any movement of them, grossly violates the property rights of residents, including their ability to earn a living, and it seriously endangers their life and health, physical and mental well being, and other rights of vital importance which are guaranteed internationally and by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. These disruptions and infringements on the safety and security of the people also extend to and affect the lives of the children of this region.

All of these transgressions are directly due to the hasty process of applying mechanical approaches and imposing dire consequences on the population of Armenia. Under Azerbaijani threats of war and use of force, and at expense of the legitimate interests of the border residents, their internationally guaranteed rights, and consequently the requirements of the rule of law, these violations continue to take place.

6. During the February 16, 2021 visit, the staff of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, with the participation of the head of the Kapan community also discussed issues related to the provision of social assistance and socio economic rights to the villagers. Specifically, issues related to the process of refunding of deposits and/or payments made were discussed in the village of Nerkin Hand.

7. During the visit, the head of the Kapan community and a number of community officials provided the Human Rights Defender with detailed information on the referenced issues, as well as the problems related to living conditions, as well as the security concerns of the villagers in other villages of Kapan.

Tatoyan said that based on the team’s findings, proposals will be submitted to the relevant state bodies, “and if necessary, clarifications will be sought to address each of these matters.”

Ex. Armenian pres. Sargsyan hurls new accusations at Pashinyan gov’t

Raffi Khondkarian
JAM News
Feb 16 2021
Continuation of the interview with ex-President Sargsyan

    JAMnews, Yerevan

The continuation of the interview with ex-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan caused in the country no less a ‘boom’ than the first part of his speech.

For two days in a row, an interview with the ex-president was broadcast by one of the opposition Armenian TV channels.

In the first, the former president focused on the details of the Karabakh negotiation process and criticism of the current Armenian authorities for not recognizing the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 2020, during the war.

In the final part of the interview, Sargsyan accused the authorities of surrendering the strategically important city in Karabakh of Shushi (in Azerbaijan it is called Shusha), of inability to protect the interests of the country and of deteriorating relations not only with a strategic ally – Russia, but also with all neighbors.

After two constitutionally allowed terms in office, Serzh Sargsyan was elected by the parliament as Prime Minister of Armenia, but remained in office for only about a week. He resigned on April 23, 2018, at the request of thousands of people who took to the streets during the Velvet Revolution. On May 8, the leader of the protest movement Nikol Pashinyan took office in his place.

  • Ex-President of Armenia Sargsyan thrashes PM in interview
  • Why is Shusha/Shushi so important for Azerbaijanis and Armenians?
  • Armenia on verge of economic stagnation: what to expect in 2021

“Shushi was surrendered”

“I’m not saying that intentionally, but Shushi was surrendered. The roots of failure [in the war] should be found there,” the ex-president said.

In his opinion, the capture of the city was the original goal of Azerbaijan – based on the statements of President Ilham Aliyev and the actions of the enemy army.

Serzh Sargsyan says that the defense of Shushi was transferred under the leadership of the former Minister of Defense of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan only at the end of the war, and the defense of Stepanakert was transferred to the ex-head of the Karabakh Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan.

It was a tactical move, the ex-president believes, in order to blame the former in case of losses.

According to Sargsyan, despite his many connections among the military, he is unable to clarify several important issues:

“Who commanded the defense of Hadrut? And in general, who commanded this front. Okay, then it was a secret. But why now we do not know who it was”.

The stories about the fall of the impregnable fortress-city of Shushi are the most discussed topic in Armenian society. And during the war, until the evening of November 9, information was spread in the Armenian segment of Facebook and Telegram that fighting in Shushi was continuing.

Moreover, in the evening of the same day, the Prime Minister of Armenia himself published a status on Facebook stating that the Armenian army continues to defend the city. A few hours later it became known that Nikol Pashinyan had signed a trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh. According to this document, Shushi passed to the Azerbaijani side.

“Iskander should have been used on the fourth day of the war”

Sargsyan accused the Armenian authorities of not using Iskander systems at the main stage of the war in Karabakh.

They were used only at the end of the war, and they fired from them at Shushi, the ex-president shared information from his ‘reliable sources’:

“But why there were no strikes on the territory of Azerbaijan itself? I can assume that they were afraid of retaliation. Perhaps not by means of the same accuracy or range. But Iskander had to be used already on the fourth or fifth day of the war, when Azerbaijan accumulated a huge amount of manpower in Horadiz and in other areas.”

The ex-president also wonders why long-range strikes were not delivered to oil and gas infrastructures:

“I am not saying that the first target should have been the pipeline. But in the end, why did we buy these missiles? Not to use at the right time? The Iskanders are ours, and we are the only ones to whom the ally gave such weapons. And we didn’t use them.”

“Not even half of the army of Armenia participated in the war”

The defense army of Karabakh was practically left alone to face the adversary, the armed forces of Armenia were not fully involved in the war, Serzh Sargsyan said:

“We are constantly told that there were more Azerbaijanis, the forces were too unequal. Well, why wasn’t the Armenian army involved then? I know that even half of the Armenian army was not transferred to the combat zone.”

Sargsyan called the talks about the Armenian army defending its borders ‘fairy tales’. In his opinion, they could be protected with the help of an ally – Russia.

The ex-president believes that Armenia should have asked Russia to take on this function, explaining that it sends its army to Karabakh, as it is the guarantor of its security.

“Aliyev defeated not the Armenian army, but Pashinyan”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in January that he “defeated the army of Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan.”

Commenting on this statement, Sargsyan noted that Aliyev had a complex due to the fact that over the past ten years he has always lost to the Armenian side – both in negotiations and during the “four-day” war in Karabakh in 2016:

“In fact, Aliyev defeated the incapacitated authorities of Armenia. It was not the Armenian army or the Armenian people that capitulated. The Prime Minister of Armenia and his team capitulated … The capitulator did not serve in the army for a day.”

“Relations with neighbors are ruined”

There were no condemnations against Azerbaijan because of the outbreak of hostilities in Karabakh. Moreover, Georgia and Iran closed the airspace, since, according to Sargsyan, Armenia has managed to spoil relations not only with its strategic ally, Russia, but also with neighboring countries over the past two years:

“When you, violating the laws of your own country, do not meet at the airport the head of a UN member state [talking about the President of Russia], who is also your ally, then you give fakes and sites of unknown origin to point out that you allegedly increased this the sovereignty of the country, you must understand that tomorrow you will be punished. When you enter into secret negotiations behind the backs of others, you must understand that tomorrow these others will change their attitude towards you.

When you have violated all diplomatic norms, trying to make a personal decision and endanger the authority of the CSTO, you must understand that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow you will have problems. “

Sargsyan is not going to occupy leadership positions anymore

“I consider my service in high positions in the state system completed. Many will say that I said the same thing in 2015, but I became prime minister [in 2018], but this is a topic for a separate interview, ”Sargsyan said.
And yet he is not going to leave active politics.

Minister Wendy Morton to officially open the new British Embassy office in Yerevan

Raffi Khondkarian

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 10:33,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. UK FCDO Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas Wendy Morton will make her first visit to Armenia on February 16, visiting the historic capital city of Yerevan and regional centre of Vanadzor, the British Embassy Yerevan reports.

During this two-day visit, the Minister will officially open the new British Embassy office in Yerevan with Deputy Foreign Minister Adonts, as a symbol of the strengthening links between the people of the UK and Armenia.

The Minister will also welcome a new partnership between the UK, UNICEF and the UN Development Programme, which will support the economic and social resilience of communities in Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces who have been particularly affected by COVID-19 and the recent conflict. The UK hopes to develop this partnership to identify how to enhance stability in these remote regions over the longer term.

Ahead of the visit, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Minister Wendy Morton said: “The UK is committed to our enduring friendship with Armenia. I look forward to meeting Foreign Minister Ayvazyan and President Sarkissian to discuss the many opportunities for our countries to work together to tackle global challenges such as climate change and Covid-19. The UK stands ready to help Armenia build back greener following the conflict and the effects of Covid-19. We welcome Armenia’s ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and look forward to helping Armenia realise its leadership potential in tackling climate change ahead of COP26”.

The UK has been pleased to support Armenia’s impressive progress in democratic and economic reforms and combatting corruption in recent years. Minister Morton will highlight how our countries can work together to drive further progress, including through measures to help small businesses grow and supporting Armenia’s National Assembly as it becomes a more modern and transparent institution.

Minister Morton will meet Foreign Minister Ayvazyan and will reiterate the UK’s support for the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs towards a real and lasting peace settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has the opportunity to build a strong and long-lasting peace in the wider Caucasus region, including through increasing the involvement of women in peace-building initiatives.

Strengthening women’s participation in politics and the business world is vital for Armenia’s development and prosperity. The Minister will visit Vanadzor Technology Centre to meet female entrepreneurs and women involved in business and innovation in Armenia, who the UK has supported and empowered through its Good Governance Fund.

Four more bodies of fallen soldiers found in search operations in Fizuli

Raffi Khondkarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 11 2021

Rescuers of Artsakh State Service of Emergency Situations retrieved four more bodies of fallen Armenian soldiers from the Karabakh battle zone, particularly from Fizuli, the Service of Emergency Situations reported on Thursday.  A forensic examination is set to be carried out to establish their identities, the service said. 

Three rescue squads will conduct search operations in Hadrut region today.

It is noted that in total, from November 13 to February 11, 1,371 bodies of servicemen and civilians were found. 

Vahan Badasyan released from cell of Armenia National Security Service, says his rights were violated for 15 days

Raffi Khondkarian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 10 2021
22:38, 10.02.2021

The charge brought against me was simply ridiculous; I was being physically and psychologically tortured these past couple of days. This is what Vahan Badasyan told reporters after exiting the cell of the National Security Service.

“I was under important post-surgery treatment, and from this perspective, my rights were violated for 15 days. Besides the fact that moral values have been violated, a war veteran is imprisoned, while the main culprits, traitors and enemies are in liberty,” he said, adding that the charge brought against him doesn’t correspond to reality.

On January 28, during a conversation with reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon, Badasyan said Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan must resign, and if he doesn’t resign, he must be physically eliminated with weapons and that he will start organizing the process. Badasyan was detained hours after making this statement.